Water from new irrigation scheme gives farmers new hope

After an almost 10-year wait, farmers are reaping the benefits of Tasmania's Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme.

Farmer Richard Burbury said the scheme coming online was "very timely".

"This year is exceptionally dry and without it, the whole district would come to a standstill," Mr Burbury said.

Driving through the region it is obvious which paddocks have been watered with shiny new irrigators and those that are parched from a very dry, unseasonably warm spring.

Many paddocks are being irrigated for the first time, with water diverted from Hydro Tasmania's large storages in the state's central highlands.

The Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme comprises a network of underground pipelines spanning 150 kilometres across the lower Isis Valley and Tinamirakuna/Macquarie River region.

It will amount to 25 billion litres of water each year, to grow more high-value crops like poppies, potatoes, and processing peas, alongside vegetable seeds and feed for expanding beef and sheep operations.

The scheme has cost $217 million to build, paid for by federal and state governments, and about 50 local farmers.

Demand has been strong from the outset and the water is virtually all sold.

Mr Burbury runs a family farming business with his wife, Georgie, and his parents, between Campbell Town and Ross — an area prone to prolonged dry conditions.

They plan to irrigate an additional 500 hectares.

"If we were without water, we would be selling lambs early and simply wouldn't have been able to plant crops," Mr Burbury said.

"But instead, we're full speed ahead."

It is a similar story for his neighbours, Pat and Mady Taylor, in the throes of shearing and preparing paddocks for a new crop of potatoes, destined for French fries.

Next year they plan to use water from the scheme to add another 120 hectares of centre pivot irrigation on the farm.

"It just means we can actually have a plan year on year," Mr Taylor said.

"It's not guaranteed income, but more likely income, I suppose.

"We definitely wouldn't be putting potatoes in without the water."

Making water pay

Getting water to the farm does not come cheap.

Farmers have spent more than $34 million to pay for water entitlements, and the irrigation infrastructure to deliver it to their paddocks is into the tens of millions.

Scheme developer Tasmanian Irrigation said the wider benefits to the community were significant.

"The scheme is expected to support approximately $54 million per annum of total economic activity across the Northern Midlands region.

"That's equivalent to around $108 million over the first two years of operation," a Tasmanian Irrigation spokesperson said.

Pat Taylor said that was already happening on his farm.

"At the start of September I had 14 people working here all on development and a lot of them are local,"

Mr Taylor said.

"That's a fair bit of money kept locally."

One of those is John Freeman, who runs an irrigation business at Cressy and Campbell Town.

He has been in the industry for more than 30 years and has watched water transform the area.

He said the new scheme was bringing in more business.

"That's fitting off property outlets, where the water comes off the pipeline and goes into different farmers' properties, and new pump stations to pump out of those dams," Mr Freeman said.

"The list goes on. It's been good."

Beyond the Northern Midlands, irrigators on other schemes are working flat out.

Tasmanian Irrigation said water deliveries in July, August and September were at record levels compared with previous years.

"Demand has also translated into six schemes opening earlier than forecast," a spokesperson said.

"On that basis, we expect demand to remain high across a number of schemes as we move into summer."